Gardner here reunites several fan favorites, with FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sgt. Det. D.D. Warren bringing in Flora Dane as they follow the trail of recently deceased serial kidnapper Jacob Ness to the Georgia hills, trying to sort out his cases. There's something positively creepy about the little town where they've landed, and soon they realize that Jacob has left behind secrets darker than anything he did while alive.

When skeletal remains possibly connected to deceased serial killer Jacob Ness are discovered near the Georgia Appalachian Trail, a task force is formed. Led by SSA Kimberly Quincy, who was in charge when Ness was killed; lone Ness survivor and vigilante Flora Dane; her boyfriend, computer analyst/true crime enthusiast, Keith Edgar; and Flora's sponsor, Boston cop D.D. Warren, they hope to resolve unanswered questions. Instead they find a mass grave, which turns the investigation around completely. Is this Ness's work, did he have a partner, or are they looking for yet another evil monster? No. 11 in best-selling author Gardner's "D.D. Warren" series (after Never Tell) is a brilliant, one-sitting, terrifying ride, full of übersuspense and hair-raising situations. As this unparalleled plot thickens, the author keeps fans salivating with her superb no-nonsense, visually disturbing bird's-eye-view storytelling. There are no backseat performances in this all-star, fan-favorite cast, in which every single portrayal is perfect.

VERDICT A must-read for fans of this prolific author, Michael Connelly, and John Sandford. Some pivotal series developments occur, but otherwise this reads well as a stand-alone. [See Prepub Alert, 7/8/19.]—Debbie Haupt, St. Charles City-Cty. Lib. Dist., St Peters, MO

At the start of this gritty, character-driven standalone from bestseller Gardner (Never Tell), a hiker stumbles across a human femur in the mountains of Niche, Ga. As soon as the remains are identified as those of 17-year-old Lilah Abenito, kidnapped 15 years before and long suspected to have been one of the earliest victims of now-deceased serial predator Jacob Ness, a special task force forms in hope of solving other cold cases linked to him. Led by FBI agent Kimberly Quincy (a regular in a Gardner series), the team includes someone with intimate Ness intel—survivor Flora Dane, as well as her Boston PD friend, Sgt. D.D. Warren (the lead in another Gardner series). Meanwhile, in Niche, the unanticipated heat from the investigation seems to be sparking sloppy mistakes—as well as offering a glimmer of hope to a mute teenage maid known only as Girl, who has crucial information. Though the conspiracy-powered plot eventually balloons well beyond believability and a romantic detour involving Flora distracts, Gardner melds her distinctive protagonists' stories into an emotionally powerful page-turner. Fans of kick-ass female investigators will be well satisfied. Author tour. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Jan.)